I always wanted to journal. When I saw Maddison Rotner’s TikTok about her 30-day journaling challenge, I knew it was time to finally give it a try. To start off this challenge, I used the free 5-minute journal guide by Intelligent Change. After a week I switched over to a combination of that guide and self-reflection prompts. Want to start journaling too? Continue reading to find my 15 self-reflection prompt ideas.
Why journal?
Journaling is a great self-care activity. You focus on yourself and on being present in the moment. A few benefits of keeping a journal:
- It helps you to take a step back, be present in the moment and self reflect
- Journaling clears your mind, releases stress and reduces anxiety
- It boosts your mood and increases positive vibes
How to be consistent
Wanting to journal and actually being consistent with it are two very different things. I’ve been thinking about journaling for a long time, but up until a few months ago I never actually did it. How did I make it a habit? I blocked a specific time in my calendar for journaling. I prefer adding this into my morning routine, either right after I wake up or after breakfast. Depending on what you prefer you can block 15 minutes in the morning, afternoon or evening.
I also used one of the habit-building methods from the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. Habit stacking is the method where you plan your new habit after an already established one. So either after I’ve made my bed I journal, or after I’ve made my coffee. This makes it a lot easier to remember to journal, and to actually do it. I already started my daily habit routine, so it’s less likely I will skip my new habit.
15 self-reflection prompt ideas
- What are 3 things you’re grateful for?
- What would make today great?
- How do you define success?
- What sets your soul on fire?
- What is your intention for today?
- How do you recharge?
- What are 3 interesting facts about yourself?
- What are 5 things that make you happy?
- If you could do anything you wanted, what would it be?
- What are 3 things that you do really well?
- What is something you’ll never forget?
- How would you describe your current mindset?
- What are your priorities in life?
- When you wake up in the morning, how do you want to feel?
- If you could learn a new skill, which one would it be?
Using prompts is a great way to kick-start your journaling habit. It can be overwhelming to see an empty page. I know that would be the case for me, and that’s why I like using these kinds of prompts. It guides me through my journaling session and gives me different things to reflect on each day. Of course, there are different types of journaling. Finding what works best for you is the most important. Don’t be afraid to switch it up and try a new method to find the best one for you.
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